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Usman wants quick turnaround vs. Chiesa in June, manager says

Josh Hedges / UFC / Getty

UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman wants to make another quick turnaround.

He's eyeing a fight against Michael Chiesa at UFC 263 on June 12, manager Ali Abdelaziz told ESPN's Brett Okamoto.

"Kamaru called me yesterday," Abdelaziz said. "He said, 'June 12, let's throw Michael Chiesa a bone.' He asked me who has the longest winning streak in the division in the top five or six (without a fight scheduled). ... I said Chiesa."

He added, "(Former UFC co-owner) Lorenzo Fertitta and (UFC president) Dana White told me something a little bit ago: The only way to stay relevant is to fight often. Kamaru is the guy."

Usman is coming off a second-round knockout win over Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261 last weekend, which marked his fourth welterweight title defense. Before that, he fought Gilbert Burns in February and finished him in the third round.

White said after the Usman-Masvidal fight that Colby Covington was next in line for a shot at the belt, but Abdelaziz doesn't think the former interim champion deserves that opportunity. Usman beat Covington in a Fight of the Year candidate in 2019.

"Kamaru, in the last 10 months, fought three times. Colby, in the last three years, fought three times," Abdelaziz said. "After Kamaru destroyed his jaw and disfigured his face, Kamaru went and fought three times against very tough opponents. (Covington) went and fought (Tyron) Woodley. ... Maybe Colby Covington is good for business. Who cares, right?

"Chiesa, four-fight winning streak. Vicente Luque, three-fight winning streak. Leon Edwards, nine-fight winning streak," Abdelaziz continued. "Why is Colby Covington so special?"

Two title fights are already booked for UFC 263, with middleweight champion Israel Adesanya facing Marvin Vettori in the main event and Deiveson Figueiredo putting his flyweight belt on the line against Brandon Moreno in the co-headliner.

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